GORHAM, Maine -- Senior Lily Von Stade (Norwalk, Conn.) snapped a 1-1 tie midway through the third period and the visiting Colby College Mules went on to defeat the University of Southern Maine Huskies 2-1 in non-conference action Saturday afternoon at the USM Ice Arena.
            The game was the season opener for the Mules.  The Huskies dipped to 1-4 on the season.  The two teams will meet again next Saturday (March 20) at Colby.
            Von Stade scored on her second bid after USM rookie goalie Haley McKim (Moncton, N.B.) stopped her initial redirect of a pass from classmate Natalie Maus (Evergreen, Colo.).  Von Stade was able to collect the rebound and flip a backhand shot past McKim at 9:42.  Maus and senior Tay Munson (Wilmette, Ill.) picked up the assists.
            The teams skated through a scoreless first period with the Mules piling up a 9-4 advantage in shots on goal.
            In the middle period, the sides traded goals in a span of 2:09.  Colby took a 1-0 lead at 10:18 as sophomore Jillian Mazzocca (West Hartford, Conn.) went the length of the ice to score an unassisted marker.  Mazzocca gained control of the puck in her own end, circled the net and headed up the left-wing side.  After crossing the blue line, Mazzocca cut across the middle and fired a 25-foot shot over McKim's blocker into the top left corner.
            Twelve seconds later, the Huskies went on the power play.  With the seconds ticking down, senior Rylie Binette (Milan, N.H.) took a feed from sophomore Amanda Crowley (South Yarmouth, Mass.) and trapped Colby senior goalie Savannah Shaw (Auburn, Maine) going the wrong way, sliding the puck into the vacated side of the net for a power-play goal at 12:27.  Rookie Eryn Taber (Tewksbury, Mass.) picked up the second assist.
            Colby finished the game with a 28-16 edge in shots on goal.  McKim stopped 26 shots before being lifted in the final minute for the extra attacker.  Shaw finished with 15 saves, including two in the final seconds.